Small Scottish distillery wins international award for wood-fired drink
A small Scottish distillery tucked away in the Lowlands has struck gold on the international stage, quite literally.
Moffat Distillery, based in Dumfries and Galloway, is celebrating a major milestone after its Moffat Moonshine scooped a prestigious gold medal at the 2025 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC). The award comes just as the distillery prepares for its highly anticipated first whisky release.
The unaged spirit, described by the distillery as a 'wood-fired, unaged spirit made entirely in Dumfries & Galloway ', earned an impressive 96 points, with judges praising its 'depth, clarity and character.'
That's a remarkable result for what is essentially the debut offering from the fledgling distillery.
'This is a huge moment for our small team,' said founder Nick Bullard. 'Moffat Moonshine is where our journey begins, raw, honest and full of character.
"We're proud it's been recognised on a global stage and we hope it puts our small but perfectly-formed corner of Scotland on the spirits map.'
Moffat Distillery is no ordinary producer. It claims to be the first and only distillery in Scotland to heat its stills using wood fires, a method not seen in over 200 years.
With an output of just 6,000 litres per year, the distillery prides itself on sustainable, small-scale production.
Sharing their excitement in a social media post, the team wrote: 'We've just won a Gold medal! Our Moffat Moonshine has been recognised by the IWSC, a huge honour for our wee distillery.
'This is a win not just for us, but for everyone who's supported us along the way, from those who've shared a dram, to our brilliant partners at Crisp Malt, WHC Lab, and Camlachie Cooperage.'
The award-winning Moffat Moonshine has been bottled at two strengths, 48.5% and a fiery cask strength of 61.25% ABV. Distilled in the open air, the team say each run carries its own unique character, with the spirit matured in ex-Oloroso Sherry casks for just seven months.
'Not wanting to drown our own spirit's character in sherry, we decided to bottle the fiery potion when we felt it was ready,' the distillery says on its website.
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While Moffat Moonshine has stolen the spotlight for now, the distillery is also no stranger to blended malts. In 2018, it released The Moffat Blended Malt Scotch, and more blends from its Local Dram series are on the way.
These unique creations are developed in close collaboration with local people, drawing on regional culture, history, geography and language to produce a dram that truly reflects the character of its community.
'We create unique recipes,' the distillery explains. 'We source our spirit directly from producers, avoiding the secondary market, since consistency and authenticity of supply are vital to the brand.'
All bottling is currently done under contract, and each blend is dressed in bespoke packaging designed by a local artist, echoing the spirit of the community behind it.
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